


Reconcile

by planetstardream



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Child Neglect, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Past Relationship(s), jamie had a shitty girlfriend and susies parents kinda left her, they talk about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 14:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21638656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/planetstardream/pseuds/planetstardream
Summary: It's Jamie's birthday
Kudos: 3





	Reconcile

**Author's Note:**

> beep beep cousin hours lads  
i originally wrote this november 12th bc thats jams birthday but i hurgled djdfmf  
but ye take the tags seriously here both jamie and susie have some baggage they discuss

"_JAM JARS!_" Jamie squawked as he felt something catapult into his stomach, waking him up instantly. He looked down with wide eyes to see a mini pink squid, bouncing around excitedly before giving an exhausted sigh, grabbing it and holding it carefully. "Happy birthday, Jamie!!"

  
"Land's sake, Susie! Don’t ya go scarin' me like that!" he scolded as he pulled a side, the squid giggling in response. He gently tossed her off the bed, giving her time to slip into her human form, feet firmly on the ground. 

  
"Noooo promises!" Susie grinned before tugging on his arm. "C'mon, get dressed! We're going out on the town today!"

  
"Ok, ok, don’t rush me! Still tryin' not to have a heart attack here-" he let his cousin drag him out of bed and he stretched before turning her around and pushing her out of his room so he could change.

  
Once he was done, he turned to find something to put on his freshly brushed head and paused. He reached out on instinct to grab his mask, but lingered uncertainly before opting to the boater hat sitting on the dresser. He held it in his hands as he stared at it, a hint of a loving smile tugging at his lips as he ran his fingers across the brim before putting it on at a slight angle. Perfect.

  
Susie looked back at him with a smile as he emerged from his room before turning him around and pushing him out the door.

  
"Adventure awaits!!"

  
"Just say we're goin' to the Shoal. It's ok."

  
"Shaddap."

  
As the team house's door swung shut, a bedroom door peeked open, an Octoling's head peeking out with a smile, going to her phone to message her friends.

* * *

"I win." Jamie grinned cheekily as Susie pouted at the screen displaying a fighting game with her character knocked out.

  
"Best out of 15!" She demanded, the orange Inkling laughing in response.

  
"Sure, if ya insist on losin' some more."

  
As the game restarted, the two went at it again, the girl occasionally sparing glances at her cousin. Jamie had noticed from the corner of his eyes and he grinned.

  
"Y'know 'poker face' exists for a reason, right? You ain’t gonna have any luck here."

  
"Oh shut up," she scoffed as she went back to the game. “I'm just noticing something." 

  
“Oh?"

  
"You look happier."

  
A moment of silence came over them, aside from the noises from the game cabinet and the rest of the arcade. _Player 2 wins!_ flashed on the screen before Jamie spoke up.

  
"Do I?"

  
"Yeah. It's... relieving." Jamie's ears twitched at her words and he frowned slightly.

  
Growing up, the two were close. Best friends, really. He remembered how she was dropped off his family's house as a young child, his aunt and uncle stating they had somewhere to go, but promised to pick her up later. He remembered seeing her wait at the front window for them return, even waiting alongside so she wouldn't feel lonely.

  
He remember the bitterness he felt towards them even now and used it to help her feel at home with his parents, as a family should. He was older than her by 3 months, so he had took it upon himself to act as an older brother figure to her, and it seemed to have helped make her sadness a bit easier to deal with.

  
He remembered when he met his ex girlfriend. How over what was supposed to be a wonderful few years, she isolated him, planting _unreasonable_ accusations into his head to keep him from hanging out with his cousin. How he couldn't confide in his family due to the budding anxiety of verbal consequences in his stomach. How it lead to a nasty argument, where things that shouldn't have been said were uttered. How it lead him into a deeper spiral of guilt, how it was his fault he lost his best friend and family.

  
How it was his fault he couldn't stand up to his then partner. How it was his fault he got his scar. How it was his fault he woke up to his parents and Susie sobbing over his damaged person.

  
How it was his fault people cried over him.

  
His fault he couldn't be stronger.

  
His fault. His fault.

  
His fault.

  
"...I'm sorry."

  
Susie looked over to him in confusion.

  
"Huh?"

  
"I'm sorry," Jamie repeated. "I don’t think I ever got a chance to apologize properly after all that happened. I... I shouldn'ta let it get that bad.." He looked down at his hands, limply resting against the controller on his side of the cabinet. “I guess I got so caught up in tryin' ta be a good boyfriend to her, I didn’t even try to be a good cousin to ya."

  
"Don't apologize," Susie assured. “It ain’t your fault she was a piece of work. And honestly, I could've handled it better myself." She looked at the screen. She remembered their fallout, and what she said. How hurt he looked. “I... Didn’t mean to say what I did. You're nowhere near as terrible as my folks. Opposite, really. I was just angry it felt like I was bein’ left alone again. I hated her, but for the wrong reasons. I knew something changed, but I was... _really_ wrapped up in my own baggage to realize what was actually goin' down. I guess I was just.... really emotionally constipated."

  
"Heh... Ain't we all though..." Jamie chuckled as he looked back at Susie. “I know I can’t go back and catch my mistakes, but I wanna do better, as yer kinda-sorta big brother." The girl couldn't help but giggle at his worlds.

  
"And I’ll try to be a better kinda-sorta little sister."

  
Jamie held a curled fist and Susie bumped hers against it with a grin.

  
"Wanna keep playing?" She offered, stealing a glance at the overhead clock. "We still got a lot of daylight left."

  
"Sure, but let's check somethin' else out. Give ya a chance ta actually beat me at somethin'."

  
"Oh fuck off, Jamjars." She snorted with an eyeroll as he walked past her to a row of skee ball tables.

  
"Love ya too!" He laughed over his shoulder.

* * *

"Annnnnd we're home!" Susie chirped as she dragged her cousin along. The pink Inkling had turned the tables on him during their skee ball match, proving to be much better at the sport. A fact she made sure to rub in any chance she got.

  
"Does that mean I finally got food rights now?" Jamie laughed tiredly. He hadn’t expected to be out all day, the sun casting over the area with a soft orange glow. He blinked as he looked up, ears perked. "Wait. Ain't this the team house?"

  
Susie simply giggled as she knocked on the door, pushing the confused Inkling in as soon as it opened. They rounded the corner to the large living room and was greeted to a surprise.

  
The room was decorated in orange party favors and confetti, a birthday banner hanging overhead. The table was covered in a light checkerboard patterned cloth, with plates, eating utensils, gifts towards one end of the table and a two-tiered cake in the middle. In the room was the rest of the team, cheering out a loud _'Happy Birthday, Jamie!'_ with clapping or setting off party poppers.

  
Jamie stood there in shock as he processed everything in front of him before Churi spoke up.

  
"We do hope you enjoy the surprise," he chirped. “We spent all day on it!"

  
"Yeah, and you can thank Lotus for all this!" Ritchie grinned teasingly. “It was all her idea."

  
The Octoling in question had stepped closer with a nervous smile, Jamie staring down at her in surprise and disbelief.

  
"I was made aware that your birthday was coming, so I spent a whole month planning everything. I hope it's alright--" Lotus was taken aback when Jamie held her cheeks, pulling her into a kiss.

Ignoring the various sounds of surprise, excitement, or in Susie and Jewel's cases, ear deafening squeals, he pulled away, hugging his partner tightly.

  
“It's more than alright," he laughed, feeling tears dot the corners of his eyes as he looked to the group. “It's _perfect_. Thank y'all so much..." Lotus felt her face heat up, but she couldn't help but smile, hugging him back and burying her face slightly into his shoulder with a purr.

  
"Think you're good enough to light your birthday candles, lover boy?" Bailey ribbed, grinning wider as he watched the male in question let go of Lotus with a sheepish laugh.

  
"Ahah, yeah, I am." He purred as he wiped his tears away. As the group gathered at the table, he felt a nudge at his shoulder and looked to see Susie beaming up at him. He paused, before returning the smile as he let the smaller Inkling tug him along.

  
Letting her encourage him into being a part of the team was one of the best decisions he's made, he thinks. Now, he had a place where his peers loved him as much as he loved them. 

  
And he couldn't be happier.


End file.
